Recent Rule Changes for Subcontracting and Joint Ventures

Recent Rule Changes for Subcontracting and Joint Ventures Michael Mc. Laughlin Assistant Director, Office of Policy, Planning & Liaison Small Business Administration June 2017

� Subcontracting ◦ ◦ ◦ Agenda Limitations (LOS) Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR) Affiliation Reporting and Use of Small Business Subcontractors Notifications � Mentor Protégé Programs - Joint Ventures � Size Standards � Woman Owned Small Business � HUB Zone expansion ◦ 8(a) ◦ All Small Mentor Protégé ◦ Five Year Review – FY 2017 ◦ Revised NAICS – FY 2018 ◦ Sole Source ◦ Revised NAICS for WOSB and EDWOSB Programs ◦ Disaster areas, NHO, BRAC

Limitations on Subcontracting � Services - Not more than 50% ◦ Note: Rental of an item is a service � Supplies - Not more than 50% (less cost of materials) � Mixed requirements – CO selects NAICS ◦ Determines limitation on subcontracting � Construction ◦ General - Not more than 85% (less cost of materials) ◦ Special Trades - Not more than 75% (less cost of materials)

Limitations on Subcontracting � Similarly Situated Entity ◦ Same small business program status as prime �Example: For WOSB requirement, WOSB with WOSB subcontractor �Subcontractor must be small for NAICS assigned to subcontract ◦ Does not count against subcontracting limit �Must perform with own employees �Further subcontracts do count toward 50% limit �Excludes subcontracts to Similarly Situated Entities

Limitations on Subcontracting � Compliance with Limitations ◦ Time period is base term, then each option period �Set-aside or reserved under Full and Open contract �Period of performance for each order �Unless competed among small businesses and other-than -small businesses ◦ CO may require concern to comply with Limitations On Subcontracting and Non-Manufacturer Rule ◦ Work by independent contractor is a subcontract and counts towards meeting limitations when the subcontractor is a similarly situated entity

Limitations on Subcontracting Reporting and Use � Subcontract Reporting ◦ Failure to file can be a material breach ◦ Assessed in past performance rating � Utilization of Small Business Subcontractors ◦ “Good Faith” Effort ◦ Timely payment � Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan ◦ Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Extended until December 31, 2027

Limitations on Subcontracting Reporting and Use � Restricts prime contractors from prohibiting a subcontractor from discussing payment or utilization matters with the contracting officer � Requires prime contractors to resubmit a corrected subcontracting report within 30 days of receiving the contracting officer's notice of report rejection � Requires prime contractors to provide the socioeconomic status of subcontractor in the notification to unsuccessful offerors

Limitations on Subcontracting Reporting and Use � Contracting officers have discretion to require a subcontracting plan where a small business rerepresents its size as an other than small business. � May require subcontracting plans even for modifications under the subcontracting plan threshold if modifications would cause the contract to exceed the plan threshold � Requires prime contractors to assign North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to subcontracts

Limitations on Subcontracting Reporting and Use � Requires prime contracts with subcontracting plans on task and delivery order contracts to report order level subcontracting information after November 2017. � Funding agencies receive small business subcontracting credit. � On indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts, the contracting officer may establish subcontracting goals at the order level (but not a new subcontracting plan).

Limitations on Subcontracting Notice � Notifications - A prime contractor that identifies a small business by name as a subcontractor in a proposal, offer, bid or subcontracting plan must notify those subcontractors in writing prior to identifying the concern in the proposal, bid, offer or subcontracting plan

Subcontracting – False Statements � False Statements - Anyone who has a reasonable basis to believe that a prime contractor or a subcontractor may have made a false statement to an employee or representative of the Federal Government, or to an employee or representative of the prime contractor, with respect to subcontracting plans must report the matter to the SBA Office of Inspector General. All other concerns as to whether a prime contractor or subcontractor has complied with SBA regulations or otherwise acted in bad faith may be reported to the Government Contracting Area Office where the firm is headquartered

Non-Manufacturer Rule � Applies only to supplies ◦ Rental of an item(s) is a service ◦ Waiver of the non-manufacturer rule means the firm can supply the product of any size business without regard to the place of manufacture. � If �Has no effect on requirements external to the Small Business Act which involve domestic sources of supply, such as Buy American Act or Trade Agreements Act. a small business is both a manufacturer of item(s) and a non-manufacturer of other item(s), the manufacturer size standard should be applied.

Non-Manufacturer Rule � Multiple Item Acquisitions ◦ If at least 50% of the estimated contract value is composed of items manufactured by small business concerns, then waiver of non-manufacturer rule is not required. ◦ If more than 50% of the estimated contract value is composed of items manufactured by other than small concerns, then a waiver is required.

Non-Manufacturer Rule � Multiple Item Acquisitions ◦ SBA may grant a contract specific waiver for one or more items in order to ensure that at least 50% of the value of the products to be supplied by the non -manufacturer comes from domestic small business manufacturers or are subject to a waiver. ◦ There is no requirement that each and every item acquired in a multiple-item procurement be manufactured by a small business.

Non-Manufacturer Rule � Waiver of the Non-Manufacturer Rule ◦ Where appropriate, SBA will generally grant waivers for an individual contract or order prior to the issuance of a solicitation, or, where a solicitation has been issued, when the contracting officer provides all potential offerors additional time to respond ◦ SBA may grant a waiver after contract award, where the contracting officer has determined that the modification is within the scope of the contract and the agency followed the regulations prior to issuance of the solicitation and properly and timely requested a waiver for any other items under the contract

Non-Manufacturer Rule � Contracting officers must provide written notification to potential offerors of any waivers being applied to a specific acquisition, whether it is a class waiver or a contract specific waiver. ◦ Notification must be provided at the time a solicitation is issued. ◦ If the notification is provided after a solicitation is issued, the contracting officer must provide potential offerors a reasonable amount of additional time to respond to the solicitation. � If a contracting officer does not provide notice, and additional reasonable time for responses when required, then the waiver cannot be applied to the solicitation. This applies to both class waivers and individual waivers.

Non-Manufacturer Rule - Software � Software ◦ Software subject to potential waiver of NMR is classified under NAICS code 511210 (Software Publishers) � Waiver for the procurement of software ◦ Software is of a type customarily used by the general public or by non-governmental entities for purposes other than governmental purposes, and the item: �Has been sold, leased, or licensed to the general public, or has been offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public �Is sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace; �Is offered to the Government, without modification, in the same form in which it is sold in the commercial marketplace

Non-Manufacturer Rule - Software � If the value of services provided related to the purchase of a supply item that meets the requirements for an individual waiver exceeds the value of the item itself, the procurement should be identified as a service procurement, even if the services are provided as part of the same license, lease, or sale terms. If a contracting officer cannot make a determination of the value of services being provided, SBA will assume that the value of the services is greater than the value of items or supplies, and will not grant a waiver

Non-Manufacturer Rule - Software � Subscription services, remote hosting of software, data, or other applications on servers or networks of a party other than the U. S. Government are considered by SBA to be services and not the procurement of a supply item. Therefore SBA will not grant waivers of the non-manufacturer rule for these types of services

Non-Manufacturer Rule – ITVAR Information Technology Value Added Reseller � Other Computer Related Services ◦ NAICS 541519, Footnote 18 ◦ 150 employees alternative size standard � At least 15% and not more than 50% value added services, as measured by the total contract price � Supply (i. e. , computer hardware and software) component of small business set-aside ITVAR contracts must comply with NMR � Must manufacture the products or supply the product of a small business, unless SBA has issued a waiver � Less than 15%, classify under manufacturing � More than 50%, classify under service

Non-Manufacturer Rule - HUBZone A qualified HUBZone SBC may submit an offer on a HUBZone contract for supplies as a non-manufacturer if it meets the requirements of the non-manufacturer rule � A firm may qualify as a small business concern for a requirement to provide manufactured products or other supply items as a non-manufacturer if it: � ◦ (i) Does not exceed 500 employees; ◦ (ii) Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied; ◦ (iii) Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice; and ◦ (iv) Will supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement pursuant to of this section.

� Joint Affiliation Venture - Exception to Affiliation ◦ Two or more small business concerns �May submit an offer for prime contract, subcontract, or sale �Each must be small under the size standard for the NAICS assigned to contract � Identity of Interest – Economic Dependence ◦ 70% of receipts over prior 3 fiscal years �Can be rebutted – e. g. , only in business for short term �Not applicable if business owned and controlled by an Indian Tribe, Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC), Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO), or Community Development Corporation (CDC) or wholly owned entity of such

� Presumption Affiliation of Affiliation ◦ Firms owned or controlled by: �Married couples or parties to a civil union �Parents, children, and siblings ◦ Conduct business with each other: �Subcontracts �Joint ventures �Share or provide loans, resources, equipment, locations or employees with one another. � Rebut presumption by showing a clear line of fracture between the concerns � Other types of familial relationships are not grounds for affiliation on family relationships

Ø Lower Tier Subcontracting Individual subcontracting plan, the prime contractor shall establish two sets of small business subcontracting goals Ø First tier Ø Lower tier subcontracts awarded by other than small subcontractors with individual subcontracting plans. Ø Ø Prime contractor receives credit for: Ø Small business concerns performing as first tier subcontractors (first tier goal) Ø Subcontractors at any tier in an amount equal to the dollar value of work awarded to such small business concerns (lower tier goal). Other-than-small, lower tier subcontractors must have their own individual subcontracting plans if the subcontract is at or above the subcontracting plan threshold, and are required to make a good faith effort to meet their subcontracting plan goals. The prime contractor and any subcontractor with a subcontracting plan are responsible for reporting on subcontracting performance under their contracts or subcontracts at their first tier.

Lower Tier Subcontracting Ø Ø Ø The prime contractor's performance under its individual subcontracting plan will be calculated using its own reporting at the first tier for its first tier goal and its subcontractors' first tier reports under their plans for the lower tier subcontracting goals. The prime contractor's performance under the individual subcontracting plan must be evaluated based on its combined performance under the first tier and lower tier goal. Other-than-small prime contractors and subcontractors with subcontracting plans shall report on their subcontracting performance on the Summary Subcontracting Report (SSR) at their first tier only.

� � � Lower Tier Subcontracting The contractor must assign to each subcontract, and to each solicitation, if a solicitation is utilized, the NAICS code and corresponding size standard that best describes the principal purpose of the subcontract A formal solicitation is not required for each subcontract, but contractor must provide written notice of the NAICS code and size standard assigned to potential offerors prior to acceptance and award of the subcontract The prime contractor (or subcontractor) may rely on a subcontractor's electronic representations and certifications, if the solicitation for the subcontract contains a clause which provides that the subcontractor verifies by submission of the offer that the size or socioeconomic representations and certifications are current, accurate and complete as of the date of the offer for the subcontract.

Lower Tier Subcontracting � Electronic submission may include any method acceptable to the prime contractor (or subcontractor) including, but not limited to, size or socioeconomic representations and certifications made in SAM (or any successor system). �A prime contractor (or subcontractor) may not require the use of SAM (or any successor system) for purposes of representing size or socioeconomic status in connection with a subcontract

Lower Tier Subcontracting � � � Requirement for subcontractor plans where subcontracts in excess of $1, 500, 000 (subcontract for the construction of any public facility) or in excess of $700, 000 (all other subcontracts) and which offer further subcontracting possibilities Subcontractors must adopt a subcontracting plan of their own and must ensure all subcontractors required to maintain subcontracting plans will review and approve subcontracting plans submitted by their subcontractors Except for commercial items, the prime contractor must require all subcontractors (except small business concerns) to: ◦ Monitor their subcontractors' compliance with their approved subcontracting plans; ◦ Ensure that subcontracting reports are submitted by their subcontractors when required; ◦ Acknowledge receipt of their subcontractors' reports; ◦ Compare the performance of their subcontractors to their subcontracting plans and goals; ◦ Discuss performance with their subcontractors when necessary to ensure their subcontractors make a good-faith effort to comply with their subcontracting plans

Lower Tier Subcontracting � Prime contractor must provide a written statement of the types of records it will maintain to demonstrate procedures which have been adopted to ensure subcontractors at all tiers comply with the requirements and goals set forth in the subcontracting plan ◦ Including the establishment of source lists of small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans, small business concerns owned and controlled by service -disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and controlled by women; ◦ Efforts to identify and award subcontracts to such small business concerns; ◦ Size or socioeconomic certifications or representations received in connection with each subcontract.

Size Standards � Size Standards ◦ 5 year review completed for FY 2016 ◦ Review of 2017 NAICS underway, publish by 10/1/2017 � SBA completed study of industries where WOSBs are underrepresented (January 2017) ◦ Published new NAICS for WOSB Program ◦ Identified 445 6 digit NAICS where WOSB were underrepresented � 80 EDWOSB NAICS � 365 WOSB NAICS �Details at www. sba. gov/wosb

Size Standards � Architect-Engineering, Design-Build or twostep sealed bidding procurements ◦ Firm must qualify as small as of the date it certifies it is small as part of initial bid or proposal � Recertification - Merger, Sale or Acquisition ◦ Novation is not required, within 30 days �Must recertify Small Business size status to procurement office; or, �Inform procurement office it is other than small ◦ If after offer but prior to award, must recertify size to contracting officer prior to award

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � One for 8(a) Business Development and One for All Other Small Businesses (see certify. sba. gov) � Joint Venture Agreement must be in Writing � Joint Venture may not be populated (except for administrative personnel) � Joint Venture must be separately identified in SAM as JV � All Mentor Protégés will be Approved by the Office of Business Development

Mentor Protégé 8(a) � General. The mentor/protégé program is designed to encourage approved mentors to provide various forms of business development assistance to protégé firms. This assistance may include technical and/or management assistance; financial assistance in the form of equity investments and/or loans; subcontracts (either from the mentor to the protégé or from the protégé to the mentor); trade education; and/or assistance in performing prime contracts with the Government through joint venture arrangements. Mentors are encouraged to provide assistance relating to the performance of non-8(a) contracts so that protégé firms may more fully develop their capabilities. The purpose of the mentor/protégé relationship is to enhance the capabilities of the protégé, assist the protégé with meeting the goals established in its SBA-approved business plan, and to improve its ability to successfully compete for contracts.

Mentor Protégé All Small � General. The small business mentor-protégé program is designed to enhance the capabilities of protégé firms by requiring approved mentors to provide business development assistance to protégé firms and to improve the protégé firms' ability to successfully compete for federal contracts. This assistance may include technical and/or management assistance; financial assistance in the form of equity investments and/or loans; subcontracts (either from the mentor to the protégé or from the protégé to the mentor); trade education; and/or assistance in performing prime contracts with the Government through joint venture arrangements. Mentors are encouraged to provide assistance relating to the performance of contracts set aside or reserved for small business so that protégé firms may more fully develop their capabilities.

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � Program change: from “Mentor must have good financial condition” to “Mentor must demonstrate that it can fulfill its mentor protégé obligations” � Generally, a mentor will have no more than one protégé at a time. ◦ SBA may authorize a concern to mentor more than one protégée at a time where it can demonstrate that the additional mentor-protégé relationship will not adversely affect the development of either protégé firm (e. g. , the second firm may not be a competitor of the first firm). ◦ Under no circumstances will a mentor be permitted to have more than three protégés at one time in the aggregate ◦ Applies to entire corporation family, all affiliates/divisions

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � Small business may be both a protégé and a mentor at the same time � Protégés must qualify as small for primary NAICS or secondary NAICS – applies to 8(a) � Protégé may have up to 2 mentors in its lifetime in any program

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � 8(a) mentor/protégé may notify SBA that it is transferring relationship to the all small MP relationship after graduation � Mentors may own up to 40% of protégé - will not be required to divest at end of relationship � Mentor � Size may transfer relationship to purchaser of an approved 8(a) JV may be protested

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs �A protégé firm may generally have only one mentor at a time. � SBA may approve a second mentor for a particular protégé firm where the second relationship will not compete or otherwise conflict with the assistance set forth in the first mentor-protégé relationship and: ◦ (i) The second relationship pertains to an unrelated NAICS code; or ◦ (ii) The protégé firm is seeking to acquire a specific expertise that the first mentor does not possess.

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � Relationship lasts 3 years, with 3 -year extension, but reviewed annually to ensure protégé is receiving identified assistance and contracts are being properly performed by appropriate parties � Past performance and experience of JV members or subcontractors must be considered by the CO � Protégé must identify all other mentor protégé relationships � At the conclusion of a relationship, protégé must report on whether it benefitted

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � Protégé must perform 40% of work performed by JV, and 40% of aggregate performed by members of the JV at any tier ◦ Joint Venture must certify it will comply with performance requirements, and report to SBA and the CO on performance � All Mentors must be for-profit � HUBZone JV rules align with other programs � Applicants may request reconsideration of denial

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � Mentor that fails to provide assistance: ◦ may result in termination of the agreement; ◦ mentor prohibited from acting as mentor for two years; ◦ SBA may request for agency to stop work and/or allow protégé to perform ◦ May be grounds for debarment

SBA Mentor Protégé Programs � SBA does not currently certify small, WOSB, or SDVO – but status can be protested in connection with procurement � SBA will not review all small mentor protégé joint ventures – but JV structure can be protested in connection with procurement � Once a protégé qualifies as other than small for the size standard for its primary NAICS code, it will not be eligible for any further contracting benefits from its mentor-protégé relationship

Woman Owned Small Business Sole Source Authority � Designated industries - 445 6 digit NAICS � 80 EDWOSB NAICS � 365 WOSB NAICS � CO does not have reasonable expectation of receiving offers from 2 or more WOSB or EDWOSB program participants � Estimated price does not exceed $4 million ($6. 5 million for manufacturing) � Award at fair and reasonable price

Woman Owned Small Business Certification Process � Current process under revision � WOSB Certification – by Federal agency, a State government, SBA, or national certifying entity approved by SBA ◦ ◦ Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 80 FR 78984 (December 18, 2015) Comment Period closed February 16, 2016 www. regulations. gov RIN 3245 -AG 75

HUBZone Program Expansion � Qualified Base Closure Area � Qualified Disaster Area � Native Hawaiian Organization � 81 FR 51312 (August 4, 2016), effective October 3, 2016 Section 866 of the NDAA 2016, P. L. 114 -92, 11/25 � Implements

Contact Information � Michael Mc. Laughlin ◦ Assistant Director, Office of Policy, Planning & Liaison ◦ 202 -205 -5353 ◦ Michael. Mc. Laughlin@sba. gov � Questions?